Box.



A. F. WILGOX.

l APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1908. 1 ,023,908. Patented Apr. 23, 1 912.

coLuMBlA PLANQGRAPI?" C0..WASHINOTON, D. c.

ARTHUR WILCOX, OF KALISPELL, MONTANA.

BOX.`

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 25, 1908.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Serial No. 454,735.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR F. WILCox, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kalispell, in the county of Flathead, State of Montana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Boxes; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invent-ion relates to boxes and more particularly to that classwhich are collapsible.

More specifically speaking, the invention relates to that class ofcollapsible boxes in which interlocking flanges are provided alongthevertical edges of the ends and sides of the box and a spring lockingtongue which automatically springs into place to hold the sides and endsagainst folding. I-Ieretofore, it has been customary in suchconstructions to form in the sides or ends of the box recesses intowhich the tongues may be sprung when it is desired to fold the box, butI have found that such constructions are undesirable as the formation ofsuch recesses involves considerable loss of time and labor and as aresult, I have conceived the'idea of forming an opening in the flangeplate which is secured upon that wall of the box upon which the springtongue is fixed so that the thickness of the tongue may be received inthe opening and the formation of the usual recesses obviated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the box.Fig. 2 is an end view of the box embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view through the box showing the spring tongue inlocked position. Fig. 4f is a vertical sectional view therethroughshowing the box in folded position.

As shown in the drawings, the box embodying my invention comprises abottom which is indicated by the numeral 10, a front side 11 which ishinged at its lower edge to the forward edge of the bottom,a rear sideor wall 12 which is hinged at its lower edge to the rear edge of thebottom, and a top which is hinged at its rear edge to the upper edge ofthe rear side of the box, the hinge connection between the several wallsof the bo-x mentioned being had preferably by means of two flexiblestraps which are indicated by the numeral 14 and are riveted orotherwise i secured tothe said walls of the box and extended around thesame, the straps being provided at their endswhich terminate upon thefront wall of the box with buckles 15 and the other ends of the strapsbeing formed with lthe usual openings for the engagement therein of thebills of the buckles, whereby the box may be held closed. The box alsoincludes in its struct-ure ends which are indicated by the numeral 16and which are hinged as at 17 tothe vertical edges of the front side ofthe box, they being adapted to be folded in to lie against the innerside of the said front wall as will be presently explained. Secured uponthe inner face of tlie'rear wall of the box at each end thereof is aplate 18 which at its outer vertical edge is bent back upon itself asindicated by the numeral 19, there being a plate 20 secured upon each ofthe ends of the box at the free vertical edge thereof and formed at itsouter vertical edge with a rightangularly bent flange 21 which, when thebox is opened and filled, is engaged between the body of thecorresponding plate 18 and the back bent edge portion thereof, the fourside walls of the box being in this manner held against collapsing.

In order to prevent the interlocking flanges above described becomingdisengaged one from t-he other, I have provided spring detents 23 whichare secured one adjacent each end of the rear side of t-he box and whichhave their free ends directed toward the end edges of the said rearwall, they being normally sprung out from the said wall of the box so asto automatically engage at their free ends with the corresponding endwalls of the box as is yclearly shown in the horizontal sectional viewof the drawings. The plates 18 are each centrally formed with alongitudinal slot 29 adapted to receive the free ends of the detentswhen it is desired'to unlock the box.

In folding t-he box, the ends are folded upon the front wall and thesaid wall then turned back against the underside of the bottom the saidbottom and the end walls being then folded upon the rear wall so thatthe end walls will be between the said rear wall and the bottom, the topbeing finally folded back upon the rear wall.

What is claimed is:

A box comprising in combination, a bottom, front and rear side wallshinged to the bot-tom, a top hinged to the upper edge of one of the sidewalls, and walls hinged to the rear side wall to swing inwardly, platesse cured to the inner face of the end walls and having outwardly turnedflanges extending over the forward edges of said walls and in spacedrelation thereto and to the front side wall, plates carried by the innerface of the front side wall having resilient louter ends adapted toengage the flange portions of the first mentioned plates, and springdetente carried by the inner face of the front wall adapted to engagethe plates carried by the end walls to look the latter against inwardmovements, said second mentioned plates being centrally formed withlongitudinal slots for receiving the free ends of the detents when thelatter are disengaged from the iirst inent-ioned plates.

In testimony whereof, I afiiX my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR F. WILCOX. lVitnesses D. A. STOCKING,

ERNEST M. CHILD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

